Chapter Two: The Journey to Hogwarts



The last few weeks at the Burrow were fairly uneventful. Ginny wrote in the diary nearly every day, talking about her brothers, her parents, life at the Burrow and of course, Harry.

The morning they were to go to King's Cross station to catch the train to Hogwarts was utter chaos. Everyone was running up and down the stairs, still half-asleep, trying to remember if they had brought everything.

Ginny wasn't sure if she had packed enough herself, until her father attempted to carry her very full trunk to the car by himself. He ended up tripping over one of the chickens in the yard, and falling over the trunk, spilling her books everywhere.

They tried to leave for over half an hour, which put Ginny's mother in an extremely bad mood. First, George forgot the rest of his Filibuster fireworks in the kitchen (he had used them in a delightful display after supper the night before). They left again, but then Fred had forgotten his broomstick. They had nearly reached the highway when suddenly a scream came from the front seat.

"STOP THE CAR!"

The turquoise Ford Anglia skidded to a halt.

"Oh, now what is it?" her mother said angrily.

"Mummy, I forgot my diary!"

"Ginny dear, we are very late as it is. I will send it with Errol the moment your father and I get back."

"NO!" she shrieked. "We have to go back!"

Ginny didn't want to risk her mother seeing the secrets in her diary. What if Tom showed them to her?

Ginny turned to her father, whom she sat next to in the front seat, and put on the best weepy look she could muster up, which in fact, wasn't too difficult.

"Please Daddy, please!"

"Yes, yes, of course we'll go back," he said hugging her shoulders, avoiding the hard look that his wife was now giving him. "Just be quick about it."

When they finally reached King's Cross station, it was nearly a quarter to eleven. The crowd of redheads, and one shaggy black-haired boy, ran to the barrier between platforms nine and ten at top speed.
Percy went through the barrier first, followed by their father, Fred and George. Ginny and her mother came next, and Ron and Harry were to follow behind them.

Ginny's father was helping with the trunks as the last of the students hurried onto the Hogwarts Express.

"Oh my little girl is so grown up! Now she's off to Hogwarts!" Ginny's mother cried as she hugged her daughter tightly.

"Mum, I have to get on the train, it's about to leave!"

"I know, I know. I just don't know what I'm going to do now that you're all off at school!"she said wiping tears away as she straightened Ginny's hair and clothes.

"Mummy," Ginny said, realizing that she hadn't seen Ron or Harry on the platform."Where're Ron and Harry?"

"Oh they must already be on the train. We must've missed them."

The train whistle blew. It was time to leave.

"Goodbye Mummy, I love you! I promise I'll send loads of owls!" Ginny yelled as the train started off.

Ginny's mother waved goodbye and joined her father on the platform trying to stop the tears still rolling down her face.

Ginny walked down the train, giving a sorrowful sigh. She walked along, looking for an empty compartment when she came across a familiar face, Ron and Harry's other best friend, Hermione Granger.

Ginny rapped on the door and waived to her brother's friend. Hermione motioned for her to come inside, and she opened the compartment door.

"Hello Ginny," Hermione said with a smile. "Have you seen Harry and Ron yet? I saved us all a compartment, but I have no idea where they are."

Ginny sat down opposite of Hermione, who was reading Magical Me by Gilderoy Lockhart.

"I haven't seen them since my mum and I came through the barrier to Platform nine and three-quarters," she said, trying not to sound worried. "Oh maybe they are just with Fred and George, playing Exploding Snap or something."

Ginny tried to change the subject so she wouldn't have to think about it. "How is your book? I've only thumbed through mine."
Hermione seemed pleased by this sudden interest in the book. "Oh, it's delightful! I can't believe all the things he has accomplished. He truly is a remarkable wizard!" she said excitedly.

"So tell me Ginny," Hermione said, putting her book down to engage in conversation."Do you expect you will be sorted into Gryffindor like your brothers?"

"I hope so Hermione," Ginny said, giving her a weak smile. "I really don't know anyone but my brothers, except for you and Harry of course."

Ginny and Hermione talked a great while. Ginny was excited to have someone to talk to other than her brothers. "Ron was lucky to have such a great friend," she thought. The girls were talking about their families when Percy suddenly poked his head through the door.

"Hello there," he said to Hermione, before turning to his sister. "Ginny, have you seen Ron and Harry?"

"No Perce, we haven't. We were wondering ourselves where they were at not too long ago," Ginny said. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"That's odd. Fred and George haven't seen them either. Did you see them board the train?"

"No–" Ginny felt her stomach lurch. "They couldn't have missed the train. They were right behind Mum and me," she said, starting to bite her lip.

"Well, I'm going to around. I'll let you know if I find them," Percy said, leaving quickly. Ginny nodded timidly as her brother left the compartment. Hermione only shook her head worriedly.

Ginny and Hermione talked on, but the skies grew dark, and before they knew it, it was time to change into robes for their arrival at Hogsmeade station.

Ginny got off the train behind Hermione, but she was quickly hurried off with the other first year students.

"See you after the sorting Ginny!" Hermione yelled after her.

As Ginny turned to see where the first year students were being led to, she noticed Percy talking to a huge man, draped in fur, with a long, shaggy brown mane of hair covering his head. Percy saw her as well and walked over.

"So did you find them?" she asked anxiously.

"I'm afraid not."

Ginny's heart sank at the news.
"I just spoke to Hagrid over there," Percy said, nodding to the hairy man. "And I sent word with Hermes about their being missing to Professor McGonagall a few hours ago, so she is aware as well. I just hope that they are all right."

"Me too. I can't imagine what could happened to them," Ginny said, her stomach tightening harder..

She noticed a camera flash. A small blond haired boy was taking pictures as he looked around in awe. "He must be muggle born," she immediately thought.

"Firs' years, firs' years come with me!" Ginny heard Hagrid shout out.

"You go on ahead with Hagrid, Ginny. And I'll see you after the sorting," Percy said, patting her on the shoulder.

She boarded the boats and set off across the lake to the castle, as was the tradition for new students first arriving at Hogwarts.

"The lights of the castle are quite beautiful in the moonlight," she said to herself, looking up at the light from behind one of the towers, as she brought up the rear of the group.

Ginny and the other first years quietly followed Hagrid through a large black tunnel, which led them beneath the castle. They left the boats as Hagrid continued to lead them through another series of tunnels on foot until they reached the front lawn of the castle.

"Wait a minute. The moon isn't supposed to be out tonight. And what is that sputtering sound?" she thought, as the light behind the castle seemed to be getting brighter and brighter. And then she almost jumped out of her skin when she realized what it was. Ginny's eyes widened in excitement as her father's turquoise Ford Anglia soared toward the castle.

Ginny and the group stopped before they reached the large oak doors to the front of the castle, which opened and a thin woman wearing emerald green robes stood there to welcome them. Behind her a sallow faced man, dressed in black, was standing near a great marble staircase.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. Follow me please," Ginny heard the woman say to the students as she led them inside the castle.

"My name is Professor McGonagall. The start of term banquet will begin shortly, and you will be sorted into your houses. They are: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin," the woman said to the small group of first years huddled together in front of another pair of large doors. "Now please wait here, until we are ready for you."

Ginny was so relieved that Ron and Harry made it to school, she acted impulsively. She ran over to the man standing in black, who seemed to be busing himself by grimacing over an issue of the Daily Prophet. She immediately regretted the decision after she spoke to him.

"Excuse me sir, but my brother . . . "

"What are you doing, you silly girl?" he snapped at her with a contemptuous tone. He looked over her second hand robes with a sneer and said, "Shouldn't you be smartening yourself up for the sorting ceremony?"

"But my brother Ron! He's here!"

"Ron? Ron Weasley?" he said with a curl of his lip that Ginny could only guess was his version of a smile.

"Yes," she said with a sigh of relief, pointed outside. "He and his friend, Harry Potter are here. They missed the train," was thankfully all she blurted out before she remembered that Ron and Harry arriving in an illegal car was probably not the best thing to be telling him.

An even creepier look came over his face. "Very well. Thank you child. I will see to them immediately. You may join the others now for the sorting," the man said, nodding at the doors, which were opening. Professor McGonagall had come back.

"We are ready for you now," Professor McGonagall said.

"Excuse me Professor McGonagall, may I have a word with you before you begin the ceremony?" the man in black said, stepping forward from the staircase.

"Yes of course, Professor Snape."

"Oh no!" Ginny said to herself, wincing from the mistake she made. She knew very well from her brothers about Professor Snape the Potions teacher, and especially how Snape felt about Harry and Ron.

Ginny watched intently as Snape pulled McGonagall aside and began talking to her in a whisper. McGonagall shook her head several times, but finally nodded her head in agreement. Without another word, Snape was off like a shot down the opposite hallway.

Riddled with guilt, Ginny entered the great hall and hoped that Snape wouldn't find Ron and Harry.

She could hardly think of anything else during the sorting ceremony (she was sorted into Gryffindor as expected), and throughout the great feast afterwards. Everyone seemed to be talking about the disappearance of Ron and Harry. Even the blond haired boy, Colin Creevey as she found out his name at the sorting, was asking everyone at the Gryffindor table if they knew Harry, as he wanted to get pictures of him. As soon as she could get away, Ginny raced up to her dorm and pulled out her diary. Soon she was writing frantically about her long day.
" . . . and once I was sorted into Gryffindor, I told Fred and George what had happened. Of course, everyone was talking about immediately. We had a celebration in the common room when Ron and Harry had arrived, but they both went up to their dorms right away. Really, I'm just so relieved that they didn't get expelled. For a while, they whole Snape fiasco really frightened me."

"Well, I am glad for all of you that things worked out the way they did. That Snape character sounds like a rather dodgy sort to me."

"True Tom. I don't think he cares for those who don't have much money either. When I spoke to him, he looked at me as though I were trash. Do you suppose others will think less of me, just because my parents don't have money?"

"Ginny, you are an exceptional girl. I am sure that you will have no problems making many new friends at Hogwarts, regardless of the social or financial status of your family."

"I hope you're right, Tom. Ron should be grateful to have friends like Harry and Hermione. She is really nice like I said, and for a muggle-born, she has incredible knowledge of the wizarding world. Ron is so lucky."

"Do not worry Ginny. I know that you find other students that will befriend you. You will come to have many close and lasting friendships."

"I know, I just wish that sometimes Dad made more money. I know it sounds silly, but I hate having to wear second-hand robes, and use second-hand schoolbooks. Well, at least I still have you Tom. I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in, it's wonderful to have such a good friend like you, who listens to me."

Ginny paused a moment. She suddenly felt exhausted. As if she could barely keep her eyes open.

"Well, it's been quite a long day Tom. I think I shall go to bed. Goodnight Tom."

"Thank you for the kind words, Ginny. I bid you good evening as well."